Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baguio and Puerto Princesa

For one person, living is cheaper in Baguio: $734 a month against $842 in Puerto Princesa, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Baguio
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Baguio Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Princesa
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Puerto Princesa Living Index

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Baguio

🇵🇭 Philippines

$734

/mo nomad

Puerto Princesa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baguio and in Puerto Princesa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Baguio and in Puerto Princesa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $734 in Baguio versus $842 in Puerto Princesa.

Baguio $734
Puerto Princesa $842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Baguio versus $1,245 in Puerto Princesa.

Baguio $1,206
Puerto Princesa $1,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,677 in Baguio versus $1,648 in Puerto Princesa.

Baguio $1,677
Puerto Princesa $1,648

Living in Baguio costs roughly 13% less than in Puerto Princesa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Baguio 46% lower, Puerto Princesa 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.10 ₱197

$3.57 ₱227

-13.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.95 ₱1,519

$20.46 ₱1,298

17.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.71 ₱172

$3.27 ₱207

-17.13%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ₱107

$2.18 ₱139

-22.48%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 ₱42.61

$0.77 ₱49.04

-12.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₱24.49

$0.44 ₱28.18

-11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 ₱72.3

$1.20 ₱76.3

-5.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₱121

$2.15 ₱136

-11.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ₱113

$1.69 ₱107

5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 ₱55.7

$1.14 ₱72.6

-22.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ₱61.3

$0.77 ₱48.99

25.97%

Eggs

$1.83 ₱116

$1.89 ₱120

-3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 ₱301

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.22 ₱204

$4.16 ₱264

-22.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 ₱445

$7.37 ₱467

-4.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 ₱164

$2.48 ₱157

4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 ₱135

$1.81 ₱115

17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 ₱177

$2.61 ₱165

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.92 ₱58.1

$0.93 ₱58.9

-1.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 ₱88.2

$1.53 ₱97.1

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ₱86.8

$1.51 ₱95.6

-9.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 ₱41.37

$0.90 ₱57.1

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₱22.22

$0.51 ₱32.52

-31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 ₱178

$2.78 ₱176

1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.99 ₱443

$7.01 ₱445

-0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 ₱48.82

$1.08 ₱68.6

-28.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₱189

$1.84 ₱117

61.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.97

$0.25 ₱15.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.49 ₱919

$13.38 ₱849

8.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₱63.7

$0.80 ₱50.8

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.97

$0.22 ₱14.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₱118

$1.84 ₱117

1.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ₱82.6

$1.02 ₱64.7

27.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.8K ₱1.3M

$16.3K ₱1.0M

27.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.0K ₱1.2M

$18.8K ₱1.2M

0.95%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$94.4 ₱5,990

$110 ₱6,985

-14.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.64 ₱1,056

$16.01 ₱1,016

3.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.88 ₱1,959

$26.74 ₱1,696

15.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.58 ₱1,750

$32.08 ₱2,035

-14.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.74 ₱491

Cinema Ticket

$4.72 ₱299

$4.95 ₱314

-4.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,019 ₱64.6K

$269 ₱17.1K

278.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,258 ₱333.6K

$7,369 ₱467.5K

-28.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.98 ₱3,171

$49.23 ₱3,123

1.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.84 ₱2,401

$27.64 ₱1,753

36.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ₱4,557

$71.0 ₱4,506

1.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 ₱5,061

$59.7 ₱3,790

33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$387 ₱24.5K

$414 ₱26.3K

-6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ₱12.4K

$283 ₱17.9K

-31.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 ₱65.4K

$797 ₱50.6K

29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₱32.5K

$484 ₱30.7K

5.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 ₱255.4K

$3,936 ₱249.7K

2.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,526 ₱96.8K

$2,410 ₱152.9K

-36.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 ₱11.4K

$287 ₱18.2K

-37.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Baguio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Puerto Princesa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Baguio

$195 26.6%

Puerto Princesa

$283 33.6% 45% $88

Groceries & Markets

Baguio

$168 22.9%

Puerto Princesa

$175 20.8% 4.1% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baguio

$142 19.3%

Puerto Princesa

$153 18.2% 7.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Baguio

$108 14.7%

Puerto Princesa

$93 11.1% 13.3% $14

Eating Out

Baguio

$67 9.1%

Puerto Princesa

$80 9.5% 19.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Baguio

$37 5%

Puerto Princesa

$42 5% 13.4% $5

Getting Around

Baguio

$18 2.4%

Puerto Princesa

$16 1.9% 7.4% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $387 in Baguio and $414 in Puerto Princesa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Princesa pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in Baguio vs $20 in Puerto Princesa. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $175, with Baguio cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Baguio

🇵🇭 Puerto Princesa

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

Same time as Baguio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

366,358

307,079

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100 PHP = 1.58 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baguio Puerto Princesa 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Baguio
Puerto Princesa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Baguio vs Puerto Princesa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baguio wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Puerto Princesa. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baguio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Baguio. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $387 in Baguio versus $414 in Puerto Princesa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $734 per month in Baguio versus $842 in Puerto Princesa – Baguio is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Princesa runs roughly 8% less than in Baguio. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Baguio and Puerto Princesa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Baguio wins on affordability, Puerto Princesa on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.